ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The 40-year-old Muhammad Imad, an IDP in a camp in Manbij countryside in Aleppo northeastern countryside, does not know how he will he meet the needs of his 13-member family, if Turkey launches a new military operation against his area and humanitarian organizations ceased sending support.
Imad and his family, who are from Deir Hafir region, east of Aleppo Governorate, depend on “limited” humanitarian aid in the New Eastern Manbij camp.
IDPs in Manbij camps fear that humanitarian organizations operating in the area cease their support, in case Turkey implants its threats, as happened in 2019 when Turkey attacked Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad.
On May 23, Erdogan announced taking steps to complete the so-called remained portions of the “safe zone” plan along Turkey’s southern border saying, “We will soon take new steps regarding the incomplete portions of the project we started on the 30 km deep safe zone we established along our southern border.”
The Turkish “safe zone” is an area of 30-35 km (19-22 miles) deep into Syrian territory that Turkey started establishing in 2019 to house Syrian refugees in an area along its border with Syria, as well as to keep it free from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which it regards as terrorists.
On May 25, Turkey’s National Security Council said that Turkey’s “existing and future military operations along its southern borders were necessary for the country’s security.” In the meeting, Erdogan delivered a speech to the MPs of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and said, “Turkish military would continue to rid its neighbour of terrorists” refers to the SDF.
On June 1, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his threats of launching a military operation on northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
In March 2018, the New Eastern Manbij Camp was established in the village of Rasm al-Akhdar, 10km east of the city of Manbij.
The New Eastern Manbij Camp houses 625 families that include 3.395 people from Maskanah and Deir Hafir areas and Old Eastern Manbij Camp houses about 387 families that include 1.795 people.
Squatter camps house 1.935 families that include 9.786 people from the aforementioned areas, according to the Civil Administration of Manbij and its Countryside which is affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
All of those people may lose their rations.
“We live in bad conditions”
“We are worried that humanitarian organizations may cease support, which will hurt us all, Imad said. “The situation is really bad and organizations’ support is too limited, where there is only one of them that provide us a food basket every two months which is insufficient.”
“When you sit inside your tent, it is like sitting in a cooker,” the man said describing the bad conditions they live in during summer.
IDPs in Manbij camps call on United Nations to stop Turkish threats and help them to skip horrors of war that they had previously encountered at the beginning of the Syrian war.
Despite high temperatures and IDPs’ needs for water and cooling means, they have not received any of them till the moment, according to IDPs.
On the other side of the camp, the 22-year-old Ali Khalid, an IDP from Dier Hafir, checks his tent and looks after some plants which are his only refuge after he left his home three years and a half ago.
Like other IDPs, the young man is worried about the consequences of the potential Turkish operation, losing humanitarian aid and being forced to move again.
“Where shall we go? We are powerless, there is no other safe place to go out, and we found safety and stayed here,” Khalid said in his local accent.
Fears of displacement
Since 2017, most of the residents of the town of Maskanah and the city of Deir Hafir in the eastern and the southeastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate have been displaced. This displacement came after Syrian government forces took control over the area following battles with the Islamic state Organization (ISIS).
Throughout sitting in front of his tent running out of the heat inside, Khalid said, “Although humanitarian aid is limited, but it is still acceptable.”
Then, throughout wiping the sweat on his forehead, he added, the organizations did not distribute cooler means to protect us from summer heat which is much harder this year.